Rob Collard
|birth = 1/10/1968|debut = Oulton Park 2000|champs = 0|wins = 7|teams = Bintcliff Racing Collard Racing GR Asia Motorbase Performance|no = 10|currentteam = eBay Motors}} is an entrant in the 2014 BTCC Season. Collard is one of the longest serving drivers on the BTCC grid in 2014, having competed in the series since 2000.http://www.btcc.net/driver/robert-collard/ Current Season Collard is currently competing in the 2014 season, alongside Colin Turkington and Nick Foster for eBay Motors. A fourth place (and two sixth places) at the Brands Hatch Indy circuit at the first round saw Collard claim his first points of the season. Background Collard, born on the 1st of October 1968 in Fimley, England, began his racing career in hot rods, before switching to Formula Ford in his 20s.http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rob_Collard After three years in Formula Ford, Collard won the Formula Ford Festival in 1998 before switching to racing saloon cars in 1999. He took the Vauxhall SRi V6 Championship that same year, providing the basis for his beginning in the BTCC. BTCC History Collard's first BTCC season started at Oulton Park in 2000, driving a Nissan Primera for Bintcliffe Sport until the end of the season. A fourth place finish in Class B gave Collard enough funding to develop a Renault Clio 125, although this meant that 2001 became a development year for him. Entering the production class in 2002, Collard had a dreadful year, competing at only two meetings due to unreliability. in 2003.]]2003 and 2004 proved to be better years for Collard, as he switched to running a Vauxhall Astra. 2003 was the better year of the two, with Collard winning the Independent's Championship. 2004 saw more teams, including ex-factory teams, competing in the Independent catagory, meaning Collard was unable to retain his title. Race Winner Collard would take his maiden BTCC victory at Knockhill in 2005, driving for West Surrey Racing. Equipped with an MG ZS, Collard achieved his best finish in the BTCC, at the time, finishing 7th overall. Another season with WSR, now Team Halfords, was less successful, achieving only a single podium all year, on his was to ninth in the final standings. BMW 320si.]]2007 was a year in which Collard took part in the Porsche Carrera Cup UK, hence he could only take part in the final meeting at Thruxton. Motorbase Performance (later competing under their sponsor Airwaves) decided to take on Collard in 2008, beginning his association with the BMW 320si. A fourth place finish that year was the best Motorbase had ever achieved, athough that would be topped the following year. A further year at Motorbase saw Collard take their first victory in the opening rounds of the season. A second win that year saw Collard obtain a return to WSR, using departing Colin Turkington's championship winning car in 2010. 2011 and 2012 saw Collard claim another three wins, before the 320si was retired after a change in the regulations at the end of 2012. eBay Motors became WSR's title sponsors in 2013, with Collard remaining on their books. A new car, the BMW 125i was given to Collard for the season, although he could not claim a victory that year. He was retained for the 2014 season, with an ambition to eventually win the WTCC. BTCC Record A table containing 's best results in the BTCC. The figures after the information about the car used indicate 's best finish at that meeting. * Excludes first results of the 2000 season as Collard did not take part. ** Excludes races that Collard did not start. References Images: *http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Rob_collard_silverstone2012.JPG - Collard *http://www.btccpages.com/photodisplay.php?gallery=aj/2003/030921r1920_op&picture=rc2 - Astra 2003 *http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Rob_Collard_2008_BTCC_Croft.jpg - BMW 320si 2008 References Category:Drivers Category:Current Drivers